Shedidn’t needa fifth, maybe just a half pint to see her through. She even took astep or two in the liquor store’s direction, but reminded ofher promise to Trudy, she stopped.
“Turn over a newleaf,” Celeste murmured, edging over to the curb. “JimBeam sounds sweet, but Shane’s the real thing.”
Somewhat bolstered by herpep talk, Celeste navigated across four lanes of light traffic thenclimbed the curb. She didn’t stop until she stood in the gym’slobby. Pretty much a blank canvas, except for a crammed announcementboard, the lobby led to a short hallway and beyond that an opengymnasium.
Celeste walked down theshort hallway. With each step, the smell of sweat and mold becamemore overwhelming. If she wasn’t made of stiffer stuff, shewould’ve succumbed to a fit of vapors. Gymnasiums weredefinitely not for the faint hearted or the feminine sex, for thatmatter.
“Move those feet! Youlook like you’re slogging in mud.”
Celeste searched out thesource of the crack and her gaze fell on a pot-bellied, elf of a manposted at the center ring.
Inside the ropes two men,one colored and the other white, both brutes, circled each other.Intermittingly, a punch landed and sweat spewed in all directions,marking the canvas floor.
Instead of being repelled,Celeste walked over. Their lightning fast fisticuffs and quickfootwork dazzled her, drew her in. Their timing and rhythm remindedher of dancing. So much so, she could watch the two combatants allday.
“You need some help?”
Celeste looked at thering-side elf. Draped over the ropes and chewing on an unlit cigar,he looked downright mean and contrary. If she had to choose, shewould’ve steered clear of him.
Since she’d made itthis far, Celeste pasted on a full-watt smile rivaling Times Squareand walked over, hand held out. The trainer eyed it for a moment,and then looked back at the ring. “Not sure if you read thesign in the lobby, but no females allowed. You can read can’tya?”
Although she’d beenrebuffed and insulted in the span of less than a minute, Celestemaintained her smile. “I didn’t maybe it was spelledwrong,” she quipped.
The trainer’s headsnapped around. “What ya want?” he barked.
“I was looking forShane Brennan,” she said.
“For what?” Heeyed her up and down while moving his cigar from one side of hismouth to the other. Although she had a feeling he found her wanting,Celeste held her ground. “He owe you some money?”
“I don’t owe heranything,” one of the boxers retorted, attracting herattention. He was unstringing his boxing gloves, but keeping his gazefixed on her. “Matter of fact, she owes me.”
Celeste stepped closer for abetter view. Shane Brennan in a pair of snug lace-up shorts andbooties was worth the price of admission alone! Broad shouldered, butslim hipped, his thighs resembled twin tree trunks. What she wouldn’tgive to wrap her legs around them.
“Goodtiming, toots. Shane’s been wasting my time. He’s beenno good all week, matter of fact. Maybe you can put some sugar inhis tank.”
“Watch your mouth,Ollie,” Shane warned, walking over to the ropes. To her hesaid, “We can talk out back.”
Celestepractically gloated as she followed Shane through a large loadingdock door. The fat bastard deserved a set down.
Grateful for the fresh air,Celeste gulped in a mouthful. As she turned to him she stopped,frozen by the monstrosity parked in the far corner of the yard. Kelly green in color, the bus sported gold painted hub caps andwindows embellished with shamrocks. A clothes line containingseveral men’s shirts and pants extended from the rear viewmirror to a light post.
“Lordwho’shot mess is that?” Celeste chuckled. To say it was an eye sorewas a compliment.
“What did you want?”Shane snapped, recapturing her attention.
Wet from sweat, his lockslooked much darker than she remembered. Heck, none of him seemedfamiliar. In the light of day he seemed taller and larger, almostbrutish. Still, none of the changes or the wicked tattoo of a craggybird running the length of his biceps, took away from his handsomeface or her obvious attraction to him.
Celeste swallowed hard. Hepractically overwhelmed all her senses. She could barely thinkstraight let alone put together a sentence.
“Well”heprompted.
“II’ma sap.”
For the longest time hestared at her. And then, as if out of no where, he chuckled and thecutest thing happened. Two crescent moons embedded in his cheeks,giving him an almost boyish quality. How could she have missed hehad dimples? Deep seated ones that would give New York Yankee’sfirst baseman, Lou Gehrig, a run for his money.
“Iwasn’t expecting that,” he said, chuckling.
“Well, it’s trueconsidering how I stood you up the other day.”
“Oh that.” Shanecrossed his beefy arms and leaned up against one of the wooden postssupporting the overhang. “Not the first and won’t be thelast.”
Relieved he wasn’tsore about her poor manners, Celeste exhaled. “Irregardless,I’m sorry.”
“Accepted,”he said, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. “Luckyfor you came looking for me.”
“Why?”
“Idon’t chase after no one who doesn’t want me. I might bea handsome cuss, but I’m no Jay Gatsby.”
Celeste hated to admit it,but she was glad she’d stuck her neck out. The thought ofnever seeing this thick neck lug again spoiled her appetite.
“If you don’tmind me asking, what happened to you?”
“I had every intentionof holding up my end of the deal.”
“Really?”
Celeste knew he was simplyegging her, but she stayed on course. “Yes, but after thereading of my father’s will. I-I got a little sidetracked.”
“And you went tocelebrate,” he hedged.
There were copious amountsof hooch imbibed, but he didn’t need to know that. “Ifyou call being bullied by the police a hootenanny, then yes I livedit up like it was nineteen twenty-nine.”
Shane’s expressiondarkened. “The police bullied you?” he asked, pushingaway from the support beam. “They didn’t lay their handson you did they?”
“No.”Celeste smiled sheepishly, secretly liking his concern. “Thedetective and I just didn’t see eye to eye. He claimed myfather committed suicide. I didn’t agree. He wouldn’tre-open the case, then told me to scram.”
“Why do you want itreopened?”
“Itisn’t true.”
Celeste waited for him tolambast her like the others had, but he kept silent.
Naturally, a part of herwanted his opinion, but then the
